Former Blue Jays reliever Paul Quantrill turns 57 today.
He spent six seasons with the Jays and pitched in 386 games, sixth in team history for games (and no one will be passing him soon). His best season with the Jays was 1997, when he had a 1.94 ERA in 77 relief appearances. He had a rubber arm, pitching in 80 or more games in five different seasons and leading the league in appearances in four straight seasons.
Paul worked as the setup man for Kelvim Escobar, Randy Myers, and Billy Koch but never
got a shot at the closer’s job. He had 15 saves as a Jay.
He suffered the most severe injuries in 1999, missing the start of the season due to a broken leg sustained in a snowmobile accident.
Quantrill also pitched for the Red Sox, Phillies, Dodgers, Yankees, Padres, and Marlins.
In a 14-year career, he pitched in 841 games, the most games of any Canadian pitcher, and had a 3.83 ERA. A skinny right-hander, Paul threw a sinking fastball, a slider, a change, and a curve. The sinker was his best pitch, causing batters to pound the ball into the ground.
Born in London, Ontario, Paul pitched in the 2006 World Baseball Classic for Canada and was one of the coaches for Canada in the 2009 WBC. He was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010.
His son, Cal Quantrill, is also a major league pitcher.
It’s also Ryan Tepera’s birthday. He turns 38 today.
Ryan played for the Blue Jays for five seasons. He pitched in 216 games (25th in team history), with a 3.64 ERA, 10 saves, and 38 holds.
He had two excellent seasons, 2017-2018, pitching in 141 games with a 3.60 ERA.
Ryan lost his 2019 season to injuries (perhaps the 141 games he played in the previous two seasons were a bit too much). He started the season on the IL, was activated on April 18, and returned on May 21 with a right shoulder impingement. Tepera came back on September 1. The Jays released him after the season.
Since then, he’s pitched for the Cubs, White Sox, Angels, and Cardinals. He retired from baseball after the 2023 season.
Happy Birthday Paul and Ryan. I hope you both have a good one.
